Press Release

Poinsettia Ball Proceeds will Help Fund New Lab Testing Unit

Glittering holiday décor, party food and an array of live and silent auction gifts are beckoning to persons to attend the Burgess Foundation’s 22nd annual Poinsettia Ball Saturday, Dec. 2 at the Onawa Community Center.

The invitations are out and tickets are on sale now. This year’s evening will feature a champagne fountain, a “simply sinful” dessert and gourmet coffee bar, auctions and a performance by Yoko’s Fault, a Beatle sound-alike band from Omaha.

Last year’s event netted a record $22,000 for the hospital’s new automated medication dispensing system. This year’s proceeds from the Poinsettia Ball will fund the purchase of a new lab machine, the Bactec 9050, an instrument that provides continuous monitoring of blood cultures. The unit will notify personnel as soon as growth of an organism is detected which will speed diagnosis and patient treatment to help shorten a patient’s hospital stay.

“The Burgess Foundation’s Building on Excellence campaign has enabled Burgess Health Center’s Laboratory to expand its space to provide microbiology services and advanced blood testing,” says Kara Minnihan, who is ball co- chairperson with Kim Gray. “We are pleased to help Burgess further advance patient care using funds raised in this year’s ball.”

“The new unit is important to us because a hospital lab often tests your blood to look for microbes or bacteria that may be causing infection,” says Beth Frangedakis, lab director. “Blood culture results can give precise information about your infection which helps doctors prescribe the correct medicine to help you feel better and recover faster.”

Poinsettia ball tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased at Burgess, First Federal in Onawa, First State Bank in Mapleton, Burgess Family Clinics in Dunlap and Sloan, and the Whiting Family Pharmacy in Whiting.

Persons interested in donating auction items should call Shirley Bruegger at 712-423-9374.